Black Oath - Emeth Truth and Death (2022)

Unleashing an impressive barrage of crushing Doomy riffs, today we have Black Oath and their latest full-length release “Emeth Truth and Death”. Perfectly crafted for those of us that are worshipers of gargantuan Doom riffs, this Italian outfit perfectly blends elements from traditional Doom with more modern influences, and pairs them with a crispy production to further rattle your speakers.

Establishing dominance with the pummeling riffs of “Truth and Death”, the band sets a very engaging mood as the sound is quite dynamic with tons of melodic elements thrown into the mix alongside soaring vocal arrangements. Far from static, songs like “Serpent of Balaam” and “Children of Babalo”, deliver dramatic guitar leads and massive headbanging passages, reminding us of bands like Yearning.

One of our favorite tracks has to be the melodramatic “Shroud to the Afterlife” and its brilliant use of male and female vocals, creating a very emotional duet as a backdrop of weeping guitars and passive drums round things up. The album truly peaks in the epic “Death Haze”, a song that has a piercing My Dying Bride meets Candlemass vibe.

Saving one of the most crushing tracks for last, “Wounded Temple” gave us the chills, bringing memories of bands like Solitude Aeturnus and Mournful Congregation at the same time, minus the growls. Overall, “Emeth Truth and Death” is one of those sleeper releases that you least expect to be as good as it is, so if you are a Doom Metal fan, make it a priority to snag a copy of this excellenta album.

Label: Sun & Moon Records

Release: April 20th, 2022

Genre: Doom Metal

Country: Italy